FUKUOKA, Japan. July 18. RUSSIANS Evgueni Bezroutchenko and Vladimir Daittchine finished one-two in the men's 10K open water competition, while German veteran Peggy Buchse took the women's event at the FINA World Swimming Championships today.

Men's Race
Bezroutchenko timed his finish to perfection, crossing the finish line at Momochihama Beach in 2:01:04, just two seconds ahead of compatriot Vladimir Diattchine, in the first-ever 10K race staged at the World Championships.

Italy's Samuele Pampana thought he had snatched bronze from fellow Italian Fabio Venturini, but was later disqualified for elbowing Diattchine over the final kilometer. Venturini was awarded the bronze in 2:01:11.

For the second men's event in a row, an American finished fourth, just out of the medals. This time it was team captain John Flanagan, whose 2:01:16 was just five seconds behind Venturini. The USA's second swimmer, Patrick Dideum was thirteenth in 2:04:49.

Bezroutchenko, who won the silver medal in Monday's five-kilometer race, stayed within striking distance of the pacesetting Italians and powered to the front with 400 meters to go to finish in two hours, one minute and four seconds.

"My strategy was to swim with the pack and attack over the finish. Luckily it went to plan today," said Bezroutchenko, bronze medalist at last year's inaugural World Open Water Championships in Hawaii.

Diattchine, who was racing in only his second 10K race, said the judges were right to disqualify Pampana.

"He kept bumping and hitting me, especially over the second half of the race. It made it really hard to get past him. It was definitely unfair," said the 18-year-old Moscow student.

Women's Race
Germany's Peggy Buchse finished with a late burst to win the women's 10K. Buchse kicked for home at the 9K mark to finish in two hours, 17 minutes and 32 seconds, easily disposing of Russia's Irina Abyssova, who took silver in 2:17.47.

Edith Van Dijk of the Netherlands, who led for most of the race before fading over the final 2,000 meters, hung on to take the bronze medal a further five seconds back.

The two Americaan entrants were never a factor in the race. Erica Rose finished fourteenth, more than five minutes behind Buchse, while Elizabeth Lavell was twentieth.

Buchse, who finished second in Monday's 5K race, took the lead for the first time at the three-quarters mark but looked to have attacked too soon as she was quickly overtaken by Italy's Valleria Casprini, Canada's Karley Stutzel and Abyssova. However, Buchse dug deep and put together a superb final 1,000 meters to snatch gold.

"It was a hard race because the sea was rough, but I was determined to give it everything over the final 1.5 kilometers," said Buchse, who won the 5K title at last year's inaugural world open water championships in Hawaii.

"When I saw the finish line, it gave me the extra boost I needed to kick hard in the last 500 metres."